Energy efficiency of buildings: challenging goal ahead

The European Commission is working to make European buildings less energy intensive and thus more environmentally friendly. Buildings are one of the largest sources of energy consumption in Europe and improving their energy efficiency would reduce emissions and support economic recovery and job creation across the EU.

On 10 December 2021, the Commission published a proposal to revise the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which is a key element of the October 2020 renovation wave strategy. The EPBD was also the main topic of a debate co-organized by CEBRE on 10 February 2022.

According to Radoš Horáček from the European Commission’s Energy Efficiency Unit, the Renovation Wave Strategy and the EPBD offer a medium-term vision of the EU until 2030, which foresees a doubling of the number of renovations underway and a 60% reduction in the sector’s emissions, 14% reduction in final consumption and 18% reduction in energy consumption.

Experts speaking at the debate representing both the public and private sectors agreed that the new directive is not only a challenge for the Czech Republic, but also an opportunity to attract new resources to the sector and to streamline the innovation process.

The Czech Republic’s renovation plans will serve to monitor progress towards the set targets. The draft directive introduces several innovative measures, such as new zero-emission homes, minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings and the associated change in energy labels, and the development of infrastructure for sustainable mobility.

The Commission’s representative has also dispelled the myths surrounding the ban on gas boilers in the Czech Republic. This is not a ban on the purchase or use of gas boilers, but an end to subsidies for the installation of new fossil fuel-based equipment as of 2027. The Czech Republic has allocated CZK 300 billion for the new targets, while CZK 100 billion has been earmarked in the support programmes for EPBD.